


The Argument

by lastweekon



Category: Ghost Adventures (TV)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 11:37:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6983332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastweekon/pseuds/lastweekon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zak is stretched too thin with work and Nick feels like their relationship is on the back-burner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Argument

Nick checked his phone again. Still no word from Zak. They were _definitely_ going to lose their reservations now. He exhaled sharply as he tossed his phone to the side. He felt like this was happening more than not these days. Zak was busy. Too busy. He’d stretched himself too thin with all his various projects and now he was struggling to stay on top of it all. Nick felt bad for him, he did. But in all honesty, Zak had done this to himself. And now Nick was paying for it with a barely-there boyfriend. He heard Zak’s car roll into the driveway and he checked his phone again. Zak was 45 minutes late and hadn’t even bothered to let him know. He felt his blood boil as the key slipped into the lock. Zak walked in, arms full and flustered.  
“Hey babe.” he said with a long sigh, kicking off his shoes and unloading his arms. “You would not believe the day I had. You know that guy I was supposed to meet with this morning? Asshole canceled on me five minutes before our meeting. I could have slept in! I was so pissed. And then my last meeting got shifted back because this guy’s flight was delayed... It was a nightmare.” he said, turning to face Nick who sat silent, his arms crossed over his chest.  
“How was your day?” Zak asked, making his way toward the younger man.  
“It was fine.” Nick said evenly. He could not _believe_ that Zak hadn’t even mentioned their missed dinner reservations.  
“You look nice today.” Zak said with an appreciative glance, sitting down close to Nick.  
Nick could feel Zak’s eyes on him and he knew the older man could tell he was upset. But he kept his eyes trained forward.  
“Hey,” Zak said, tapping him lightly on the thigh. “What’s up? Are you okay?”  
“I'm pretty pissed actually.” Nick said truthfully.  
“Pissed? At me?” Zak asked, clearly surprised.  
Nick’s frustration levels rose. Zak didn't even remember that they had made plans and Nick was starting to feel like an afterthought.  
“Are you kidding me?” He asked. “Unbelievable…”  
“What did _I_ do?” Zak said, already getting defensive.  
“I look nice tonight, huh?” Nick asked. His tone begging Zak to figure it out. “That's because I came home at the time I _said_ I’d be home. Because we made _plans_ -”  
“Dinner….” Zak said, face falling as he realized his mistake. “Shit, Nick. I'm so sorry. I totally forgot.”  
“Yeah, well that's been happening a lot lately. That is when you actually _have time_ for me.”  
“Come on, that's not fair. You know how busy I've been. Don't you think I'd rather be spending time with you?” Zak asked.  
“Honestly, I don't really even know anymore.” Nick said.  
“What does that mean?” Zak scoffed.  
“It _means_ I feel like I can't get time with you unless we schedule it. And _apparently_ not even then.  
“This was an honest mistake, Nick.” Zak said, resting a hand on Nick’s crossed arms. “I just got my dates confused, that’s all.  
“Yeah, this week you got your dates confused. Last week you had to finish up your book edits. What’s it gonna be next week?” Nick asked seriously.  
“Nick…”  
“Am I even a priority to you anymore? Because I’m starting to feel like I’m just an afterthought.”  
“Of _course_ you’re a priority!” Zak said earnestly. “You’re the most important person in my life, Nick. You’re my _number one_ priority. I just have so much on my plate right now and I’m trying to balance everything…”  
“And I’m getting hung out to dry.” Nick said. He knew he was giving Zak a hard time, but he’d been bottling it in for weeks now and he’d finally reached his breaking point.  
“I don’t mean to make you feel that way.” Zak said dismally. “But I don’t think you realize how often I say no to things or leave work undone so that I can spend time with you.”  
“Zak, we've hardly seen each other at all this past month! And if there was an end in sight, that’d be one thing. But there's not. You keep taking on more and more. And when you _are_ home, you're sleeping or you’re distracted. If that's your idea of spending time together…”  
“Nick, I'm _trying_.” Zak said, frustrated.  
“Well, try harder.” Nick said, standing from the couch. He needed to clear his head. He was mad, but more than anything he was hurt that Zak couldn't see that they were headed in a bad direction. Or maybe he did see it and he just didn't care. That hurt worse to think about.  
“Nick, where are you going?” Zak asked sadly.  
“I just need to not talk about this right now.” Nick said over his shoulder as he made his way out of the room.  
“Come on, I'm home now. Let's go get some dinner.” Zak said.  
“I'm not hungry.” Nick answered, heading to the basement. He heard Zak let out a shaky breath and he knew he was upset. Normally, Nick would go back and try to comfort him. But he wasn't in the mood at the moment. Not when he was feeling so slighted by the older man. 

He flopped onto the couch, turning on the television and flipping mindlessly through the channels. Eventually he settled on a random nature show and pretended to watch the screen. But his brain wouldn’t stop spinning. He was too mad. It wasn’t even about Zak being busy or forgetting plans. It was that he didn’t seem to recognize how these things were affecting their relationship. Judging by his reaction tonight, he didn’t even see that there was an issue at all. And if Nick had never brought it up, would they have just continued to go on like this indefinitely? Was this really enough for Zak? Nick felt hurt to think that the older man could be content with so little time together. Maybe Zak didn’t need him the way he needed Zak. He curled up on the couch, pulling a throw blanket over himself and zoning out as the light from the television screen danced through the dark room. 

A while later, Nick heard the door to the basement creak open. He waited for footsteps but heard none. Instead, he heard Zak’s voice call down quietly from the top of the stairs.  
“Nick?”  
“Yeah?” Nick answered back, finding his own voice emotionless.  
“You coming up to bed?” Zak asked timidly. And Nick could hear how hopeful he sounded as he shuffled nervously in the doorway.  
“Maybe later.” Nick said, not ready to give in just yet. He was still hurt and he knew that if he went upstairs now, they would be right here again in no time. Maybe even worse off. They needed to have a real conversation and get things sorted out. But that didn't seem like it was going to happen right now.  
“Oh.” Zak said sadly. “Okay.”  
Nick could hear Zak as he hovered at the top of the stairs, clearly unsure what to say but definitely wanting to say _something_.  
“I love you, Nick.” he said finally, pausing a moment before closing the door behind him.  
Nick exhaled sharply, reaching for the remote and turning off the television. He laid back, pulling the blankets up and over his head. They never went to bed angry. Not if Zak had anything to say about it. In the past, he would refuse to let Nick go to sleep until they had talked out their problems. And now, here Nick was in the basement alone and Zak felt farther away than ever. 

Nick stirred in his sleep. It was hot and he felt cramped in the large bed. He tried to move, but there was no space and the blankets tangled around him like a cocoon. He was still half asleep as he remembered his fight with Zak and the restless sleep that had come to follow. He wasn’t in his bed, he was on the couch and the leather stuck to his sweat-soaked skin. Regretfully he opened his eyes to face the lonely room. But as his eyes focused in the dark, he was surprised to find he wasn’t alone on the couch. Zak lay sleeping at his side, his body curled around the younger man’s, radiating heat like his own personal furnace. Nick couldn’t help but smile to himself at the sight. He kissed Zak lightly on the temple and the older man stirred, cuddling in closer as he settled. Nick didn’t want to wake him, but he was too hot to stay like this the rest of the night. Carefully he worked to untangle himself from the blanket. Sliding it out from under Zak’s body, he tossed it off to the side and sat up to remove his sweaty shirt. The movement was too much and Zak’s eyes popped open next to him.  
“Nick, I’m sorry. Don’t leave.” he begged sleepily.  
“I’m not going anywhere.” Nick said softly, tossing his shirt to the side and laying back down in the nook of the couch. Zak wrapped himself around the younger man again, settling in.  
“I waited for you to come up.” Zak whispered quietly into the dark room. “I tried to give you some space.”  
Nick couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea of space with the two of them cramped on the couch this way.  
“I suck at space.” Zak said. And Nick could feel him smile against his chest. “I miss you…” he added sincerely. “And you’re not an afterthought. _Not ever_.”  
Nick kissed the top of his head, feeling his stress begin to melt away.  
“If you don't know that you're the most important person in my life, than you're right. I _do_ need to try harder. And I will, Nick. I'll show you how much you mean to me.” Zak continued, voice desperate and worried.  
Nick ran a hand along the older man’s arm shushing him quietly.  
“It's okay, Zak. I believe you.” Nick said. And he did. “I know that work keeps you busy. And that's good. I don't want you to be ashamed of your success. I think I just need to be reminded sometimes that I'm important to you too.”  
“You are. I'd give it all up in a heartbeat if I had to. But I could _never_ give you up.” Zak said, hugging Nick close.  
“I’d never ask you to give up anything, Zak." Nick said earnestly.  
“I know you wouldn't. But I want you to know that I would if you did. You're more important to me than any of that other stuff.”  
Nick smiled. After the craziness of this past month, it felt great to know that Zak still needed him the way he knew he would always need Zak. He wrapped his arms around the older man, pulling him in tight until he lost track of where he ended and Zak began. The way he’d always preferred it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this! The image of Zak tip-toeing down to the basement to crawl onto the couch with Nick seriously warms my heart.


End file.
